Can you change the download directory on steam?

HecFam · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:13

like in the title, i got a free dirt 3 download claimable from steam.

i have only got a 40g C: drive and thats fill with os files and so on, so i only have around 500mb left on it.

whereas i also have a D: and E: drive with over 500gbs.

can i change where steam downloads my games to?

i know i can download it to C: then move it, but i cant free up space on it to be able to download it.

Myshra · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:22

Quick fix: Download for 2 mins, log out. Use steam mover (http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover) to move the folder to the other HDD, restart steam and it will download to the symlinked folder. There are probably other apps that can do this but I just personally have used steam mover.

olivier renault · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:24

I use the mklink command, but I'd probably give steammover a shot.

Confused · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:27

Easiest way:

Close Steam.
Move Steam folder to another hard drive.
Run steam.exe from new drive.

Job done!

StriderX · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:37

Confused said:
Easiest way:

Close Steam.
Move Steam folder to another hard drive.
Run steam.exe from new drive.

Job done!

Not sure if joking or just annoying.

Egon · 23 Feb 2012 at 09:38

StriderX said:
Not sure if joking or just annoying.

No, it works, I did this a couple of weeks back.

Edit: From the Steam site

The following instructions are a simple way to move your Steam installation along with your games:

1.Exit the Steam client application.
2.Browse to the Steam installation folder for the Steam installation you would like to move (C:\Program Files\Steam by default).
3.Delete all of the files and folders except the SteamApps folder and Steam.exe
4.Cut and paste the whole Steam folder to the new location, for example: D:\Games\Steam\
5.Launch Steam and log into your account.
Steam will briefly update and then you will be logged into your account. For installed games, verify your game cache files and you will be ready to play. All future game content will be downloaded to the new folder (D:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\ in this example)

tommybhoy · 23 Feb 2012 at 11:04

StriderX said:
Not sure if joking or just annoying.

If Steam is installed in another HD, for talking sake, lets say it's the 'E' drive and you re install Windows, you don't need to re install Steam, you just click on the Steam app and as said before, it just does an update and after you verify the files from already installed games, you are good to go.

HeX · 23 Feb 2012 at 11:07

Confused said:
Easiest way:

Close Steam.
Move Steam folder to another hard drive.
Run steam.exe from new drive.

Job done!

This. How I've always done it.

FrenchTart · 23 Feb 2012 at 11:10

StriderX said:
Not sure if joking or just annoying.

I guess it *is* annoying when someone suggests a working simple solution for a problem.

Shamikebab · 23 Feb 2012 at 11:19

I'm still amazed Steam have never included this feature, it seems the simplest thing to include :/

Phal · 23 Feb 2012 at 14:15

Maybe they never saw a need for it when you basically only have to copy the folder to the new location :/

kmetek · 23 Feb 2012 at 14:26

My steam directory is big around 90GB, lol copying will take whole day

Murray · 23 Feb 2012 at 14:32

kmetek said:
My steam directory is big around 90GB, lol copying will take whole day

Mine is 408gb and takes 2 hours or so, you will be fine!

Confused · 23 Feb 2012 at 15:14

Whilst SteamMover is a useful tool - it comes into it's own when you want to move one or two specific games onto a drive like an SSD, whilst having the main Steam folder on your larger capacity mechanical drive.

Therefore - initially, move everything onto the larger drive, and run steam.exe from there, and then run SteamMover (or equivalent) to move just one or two games back to the SSD.

HecFam · 23 Feb 2012 at 17:17

Cheers guys, worked a charm. im just surprised they didn't include that feature in settings or anything.

kmetek · 23 Feb 2012 at 17:33

what did you do exactly?

QlimaxUK · 23 Feb 2012 at 17:40

Dirt 3 is rubbish don't install simples

or do this..

Confused said:
Easiest way:

Close Steam.
Move Steam folder to another hard drive.
Run steam.exe from new drive.

Job done!

bledd · 23 Feb 2012 at 17:49

Confused said:
Easiest way:

Close Steam.
Move Steam folder to another hard drive.
Run steam.exe from new drive.

Job done!

This is what I do, it's pretty portable

bledd · 23 Feb 2012 at 17:50

Phal said:
Maybe they never saw a need for it when you basically only have to copy the folder to the new location :/

What he means is the inability to natively have some games on other drives.

Confused · 23 Feb 2012 at 18:01

Using the method that SteamMover and GameSaveManager use (mklink) is only supported on Vista & 7, and only with NTFS partitions.

For stuff like XP, and FAT32 partitions, something else would need to be programmed - granted a simple entry of "use these additional locations" would be relatively easy... but in principle I agree, especially as SSDs are becoming more common now